From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Horn, Martin and other election judges throughout Winnebago County did what they could to pass time in Tuesday’s low-turnout primary election.

Of the city’s 81,980 registered voters, just 14.5 percent cast ballots, and just 17 percent of the voters in Winnebago County voted.

As late as 6 p.m., just 119 city residents had voted at the community center, 1325 N. Johnston Ave.

“The minority is electing the people to serve the majority,” said election judge Jerald Martin. “It should be the other way around.”

Voter Dawn Roberson was not surprised by the low turnout but nevertheless was disappointed to see so few exercise their right to vote.

“It’s important,” she said.

By 4:50 p.m., 125 people had voted at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 1703 S. Central Ave., and by 5:15 p.m., just 47 people had voted at the Westside Church of Christ, 1523 Morgan St.

Winnebago County Board incumbent L.C. Wilson, D-14, stopped by the Morgan Street church, checked the vote total and said, “People shouldn’t complain if they don’t vote.”

Ken Harper, executive director of the Rockford Board of Elections, said it’s difficult to compare Tuesday balloting to other low-turnout primaries because all primary elections are different in the sense that some may have few races and others will have a lot more.

Earlier in the day, a proud mom was among the steady trickle of Rockford voters at First Baptist Church, 5304 Charles St.

Connor Cassel, an 18-year-old Boylan Catholic High School student, voted for the very first time. His mom, Rockford resident Jamie Cassel, was there to show him the ropes and said that for her family, voting is both a right and a responsibility of citizenship.

“I am very proud,” Jamie said. “Voting is our duty, it is our obligation, it is our right. That’s what we have taught our children. I hope everyone teaches their children to vote.”

Only seven people had voted as of midmorning at the Webbs Norman Center, 401 S. Main St., the home for Ward 5, Precinct 5 voters, first-time election judge Jim Nelson said.

Nelson said traffic had been slow all morning. Polls opened at 6 a.m., the first voter showed up at 7:12 a.m., and the next voter didn’t come by until about three hours later.